Since the following of the DII Report increased by more than 30% since the MLB Draft article on Tuesday (and with the DII season right around the corner) I thought a quick welcome to our new following, and a brief re-introduction is in order.
So, who am I, and what can you expect for the 2022-23 NCAA DII season from the DII Report?
I have covered DII for Turner Sports since 2015. The first major event I covered was the DII Festival in Denver where I first met many of the SIDs and coaches who follow along here. What started out as features turned into championship coverage and my Power 10 rankings, all of which can be read weekly on NCAA.com. The Power 10 rankings are for DII football, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball and softball. If you want an example, here are the final DII Baseball Power 10 rankings from 2022.
So, why this newsletter? Why not keep everything on NCAA.com? First and foremost, my ultimate goal has never been about “NCAA DII sports.” It is, and always will be, to showcase the DII student-athlete. They are some of the very best in the nation and don’t get the attention they deserve. So, I started this newsletter and the DII Nation Podcast with DII alum Bethany Bowman (please consider subscribing below). The podcast tries not to be your boring conversation but shows how fun it is to be a DII player or coach. And choosing Bethany was no mistake. Her passion for playing college athletics brings out the very best in our guests, and I am forever grateful she continues to take time out of her ridiculously hectic schedule to help host, produce, and edit the show.
Now, the DII Report is heavily immersed in DII baseball because, well because I am a DII baseball fanatic as much as I am a beat reporter. That said, this year, you can expect some DII football insight as well (starting in a few weeks). I hope to get baseball articles back regularly with the second year of the DII Fall Reports sometime around late September.
I (and Bethany on the podcast) do this completely free for now. Again, I have always been about the promotion of the DII athlete, so I do all I can. Can I promise it will always be free? No, as expenses mount and more trips to baseball and football fields are required, I may need to make this a subsciption-based newsletter. Time will tell, but it will always be worth your investment.
So, that’s what you can expect. While you’re here, if you have any good DII news for me or story tips, shoot an email to wayne.cavadi@gmail.com. Or you can follow me on Twitter and fire off a DM. DII information isn’t readily available, and I am grateful for coaches and SIDs who continue to give me the stories and details I need. Heck, even parents and fans have been super helpful over the years.
Welcome to the DII Nation. Hope you enjoy the ride.